Location, location, location — if what the property experts say is true, then the Grand Hotel Du Palais Royal on Rue Saint-Honoré in central Paris couldn’t be more well-placed. Standing on our narrow fifth-floor balcony, a delightful view of La Basilique du Sacré Cœur de Montmartre can be seen to the right, and to the left, the Louvre. A short, three-minute walk brings one to the famed museum's glass pyramid, Comédie-Française and the banks of the Siene, and right into the heart of the fashion district.

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While not very spacious, our room provided all we require for a comfortable sojourn: a large double bed, a comfortable sofa, an oblong metal and glass coffee table for drinks, a sidewall desk for writing (with a Magimix espresso machine), plenty of cupboard space and a bathroom with separate shower and bath with Carita toiletries. The room design, reflecting the hotel’s general interior design by Pierre-Yves Rochon, can best be described as modern, minimalist and chic. The color scheme is neutral, simple and subdued: white walls and gleaming metal and mainly black furnishings (Italy-based Knoll, as well as Eames and Pierre-Yves Rochon) including television, coffee-maker, bedside tables, a recliner and lamp-stands. Other touches include a brown and beige carpet, ash-gray curtains and ceiling moldings.

Photo Credit: Columbia Hillen

Ironically, the five-star Grand Hotel Du Palais Royal, nestled inside an 18th century building, is not grand in sheer physical scale, being only 68 rooms and suites in a six-floor, corner building. But what it lacks in vastness, it makes up for in charm. For example, stepping inside the elevator, one is delightfully surprised to face a full-length photograph of a classic Parisian leafy-street scene. As homage to the neighboring Palais Royal Garden, plants and greenery are the keynotes of the hotel, with a winter garden, an exotic tree at the entrance, and natural colors throughout the décor.

Photo Courtesy of Grand Hotel Du Palais Royal

Parts of the hotel building are designated historical monuments as the hotel was once known as le Théâtre de l'Opéra. Its interior reflects Parisian cultural history with busts of French authors and philosophers, including Voltaire, Rousseau and Diderot, outside its open bar area. A characteristic of Le Bar, as it is simply called, is the many drinks made from Champagne with Dom Perignon, Krug, Grand Siecle and Dom Ruinart among the many brands it serves.

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The hotel owners, the French Marang family, also own the four-star Powers Hotel, a block from the Champs Elysees. Proud of its environmental achievements, the hotel has been awarded the Green Key, an important international hospitality recognition for quality management of waste, water and energy. Many of their concierges are members of Les Clefs d’Or (The Golden Keys), and the hotel provides a printed guide offering suggestions of exhibitions to see and places to eat. Among the on-property services are a business center and hairdressing and nail salon.

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The walls of the lobby display paintings linked to the Comédie-Française and each floor of the Grand Royal exhibits copies of works by different artists. For example, Georges Braque is featured on the 5th floor and Matisse on the 4th, and several black and white photographs of everyday Parisian street scenes scattered about. The staircase linking all the floors is from the original building and is more than one hundred years old.

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Le Lulli is a compact, intimate space located deep within the interior of the hotel. Indicating the nearby gardens of Palais Royal, the interior has touches of green, including vegetation outside glass-fronted walls, green-colored glasses on the tables and curtains with leaf design. Breakfast is buffet-style, ample and varied, featuring seed as well as dried-fruit bread and croissants, Beillevaire butter (made from freshly churned raw milk in Normandy), sausages with a filling of herbs, three varieties of ham and four different cheeses, as well as seasonal strawberry tarts.

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Chef Jean Yves Bournot presents a menu strongly based upon seasonal produce for the restaurant, including a tasting option beside the à la carte one. The overall impression is a delightful variety of meats, fish and seashells, paired in a creative way to result in a gourmet experience worthy of the classy establishment. The asparagus dish is served with rich, nutty Shimigi mushrooms, marrow and parmesan that, together, create a delightful umami experience.

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Also, the addition of ficoide glaciale, or ice plant, with its crunchy and slightly acidic taste and shimmering dot appearance, together with sweet vanilla, provided for a melt-in-your-mouth John Dory (butterfish). For another main dish, the seared foie gras accompanying Black Angus steak, served rare with just a sprinkle of sea-salt, makes for a perfect Tournedos Rossini dish.

Photo Courtesy of Grand Hotel Du Palais Royal

In the basement, the hotel also has its own exclusive Carita spa, a large Turkish bath with a Sicis brand of mosaic and a small fitness room with a range of exercise equipment and tailor-made coaching programs. With its eclectic mix of historical elegance and chic modernism combined with its central location, the Grand Hotel Du Palais Royal offers visitors a wonderful introduction to the La Ville-Lumière — the City of Light.